Decorative material and method of



March 13, 1945. J RQSENFELD 2,371,318

DECORATIVE MATERIAL AND METHOD OF APPLYING THE SAME Filed July 6, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 1 gli;

AT TORNEY March 13, 1945. L RQSENFELD 2,371,318

DECORATIVE MATERIAL AND METHOD OF APPLYING THE SAME Filed July 6, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 2 mvszvrm ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 13, 1945DECORATIVEMATERIAL AND METHOD 0F APPLYING THE SAME Jack Rosenfeld, NewYork, N. Y.

Application July 6, 1944, Serial No. 543,651

Claims.

This invention relates to decorative material adapted for use inhandbags, pocketbooks and similar articles, and to the method ofproducing the salme. i

It is known in the `art to decorate articles such as handbags and thelike with elements of metal or plastic material arranged thereon indefinite designs or patterns so as to produce surfaces capable ofconferring to the object a distinctive ornamental appearance. For thispurpose, there is usually formed a structure consisting of a number ofsingle decorative elementsarranged side by side and interconnected orinterlaced in various manners, as by means of tapes or the like traversing the elements at right angles through suitable apertures providedtherein, the `structure being thenapplied to the object to be decoratedby securing thereto the ends of the tapes that interconnect the singleelements.

The materials thus formed are generally .in the nature of a cover orenvelope for the object, and are adapted for application to curvedsurfaces or, in general, flexible bodies, such `as handbags, since theinterconnection of the constituent elements thereof by `means'cfdexiblertapes or the like, substantially provides an articulatedmaterial.

However, the structures of the prior art are not entirely satisfactoryfor various reasons. One of the shortcomings of such devices consists inthe comparative complication and high cost of manufacture, due to thenecessity of passing many tapes through a'large number of apertures,tensing the tapes accurately to insure proper interconnection of theelements, and securing all the ends of the tapes to the object to whichthe decorative material is applied. A further serious shortcomingconsists in that the single elements thereof are not and cannot beindividually secured to the article they decorate. son, and since themeans interconnecting the elements are exible and cannot be tensedbeyond a certain limit if sufficient exibility of the material is to bemaintained, the single elements become frequently displaced relative toeach other and to the underlying surface of the article, and assumepositions at different angles whereby the wall of the article appears tobreak sharply in different directions and the desired decorative effectis entirely lost. This defect is common to certain decorativearticulated structure of a dif ferent type which may be directlyemployed to form the body of the article- It is therefore an object ofthe invention to provide a decorative material which is inexpen- Forthis reathe formation of the body 'of articles of the aforo# mentionedcharacter.

The invention is also directed to the provision of a novel methodwhereby a number of decora,- tive elements may be permanently associatedwith a backing member to forman articulated decorative material. asaforesaid, in a, simple and expe-` ditious manner, the method vfurthercontemplating the usepof integral rigid units comprising'a`comparatively large number 'of decorative elements and thetransformation of such 4units into single ornamental elements,individually secured to the backing member, by means of a few simpleoperations.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent in thefollowing description of the invention illustrated in the drawings,where- Fig. l is a plan view of a portion of decorative materialaccording to the invention in an initial stage of its construction,showing the backing sheet and units of integrally formed multipledecorative elements disposed thereon.

Fig. 2'is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sec tional view on line 2--2 ofFig.` l, showing one of the score lines provided between adjacent-rowsof decorative elements of each unit.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the material in a successive stage of itsconstruction,` with the units of decorative elements secured to thebacking sheet.

Fig, 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view on line 4 4 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the material il' lustrating the iinalstep in the constructionthereof.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sec-4 Fig. 'T is a perspectiveyview ofla ladys handbagl made with decorative material producedaccording to the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, III indicates a base or backingsheet forming part of the decorative material and made of fabric,leather or other suitable material selected according to the use forwhich the product is in tended.

Disposed upon one face of the backing sheet II) are a plurality ofdecorative units II (two of which are shown at the right in Fig. 1) ofsubstantially rigid but light material, such as a molded plastic, andhaving preferably a square or rectangular base contour, whereby theunits may be arranged side by side, with their basis substantially inedge contacting relation, to cover the entire area of the backing sheetand provide a continuous ornamental surface, partially shown in Fig. 1.

Each unit II is formed in one piece and comprises a plurality of alinedraised hollow portions I2, uniformly spaced from each other by flatcoplanar portions I3 of the unit base merging with the upstanding wallsof the raised portions I2. These latter may be of various geometricaldesigns, so as to permit of a variety of decorative effects. Units ofvarious sizes, embodying diiferent numbers of raised decorative portionsI2, may be employed; comparatively large units, shown as Fig. 1, are,however, preferred and, of course, a single unit coextensive with theback ing sheet may be used.

A plurality of intersecting score lines I4 and I5 are providedlongitudinally and transversely of each unit I I, between adjacent rowsof raised portions I2 thereof, centrally of the aforementioned flatportions I3, to produce weakened zones and dene the periphery of anumber of elements, each incorporating one of the raised portions I2,into which the unitI I will be divided in a subsequent phase ofconstruction of the material, as will be hereafter described.

The units II, placed on the backing sheetr I0 with their bases disposed,as aforementioned, to bring the raised portions thereof in alinement toformlongitudinally and transversely extending rows of such portions andto locate .the score lines in registration, are then secured to thebacking sheet by means of a number of longi tudinal and transversedouble lines of stitching I6, I`6a and I'I, I'Ia (see Figs. 3 and 4)parallel to the score lines I4, I5 in closely spaced relation thereto,the connection with the backing sheet being completed by a peripheralline of stitching I8. The stitching may be effected by means ofconventional sewing machines having a presser foot adapted to passbetween adjacent rows of raised portions I2, the thin wall of theplastic units -being readily penetrable by the usual sewing needles. Ifdesired, a suitable cementing material may be used for fixing the unitsto the backing sheet prior to the sewing, to insure that the properposition of the units will be maintained during the sewing operation.

In the final step of production of the material, the backing sheet I0carrying the units secured thereto, as described, is bent in the mannershown in Fig. 5, longitudinally and transversely. As will be evident,the plastic material will be caused in this manner to split in theweakened zones defined by the score lines I4, I5, with the resultingsubdivision of each unit into a plurality of independent elements 20,united by portions of the exible underlying backing sheet functioning ashinge members, as illustratedin Fig. 5, the

connnection of the elements 20 thus formed with the backing sheet beinginsured by the aforementioned lines of stitching I 6, I 6a and I'I, IIa,as will be evident.

The material thus, produced, besides having an attractive appearance, iscompletely articulated and can be bent substantially in the same manneras a fabric or a piece of leather so that it lends itself to a largevariety of uses. It can be advantageously employed in the formation ofbodies having curved portions or in which exibility is essential, suchas the handbag 22 illus trated in Fig. '7

While I have described the invention with reference to a preferredembodiment thereof, it is to be understood that changes andmodifications may be made in the structure described and illustrated inthe drawings and in the method of producing the same without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the claims.

I claim: v

1. A method of producing a decorative material, which comprises taking aplurality of substantially rigid units embodying a number of decorativeportions, forming score lines in each of said units to dene therein anumber of elements interconnected by weakened Zones, each of saidelements incorporating one of said decorative portions, securing theinterconnected elements of the units to 'a flexible backingsheet, andsubsequently severing the units along said weakened zones to separatethe 'elements ythereof from each other and form an articulatedstructure.

2. A method of producing a decorative material, which comprises taking apreformed decorative unit of molded plastic material, form-ing in saidunit a number of intersecting score lines 40 to dene therein a pluralityof elements inter connected by weakened zones, securing the unit to aflexible backing sheet by means of lines of stitching passing throughsaid elements and parallel to said score linesand bending the assemblythus produced to cause the material of the unit to split along theweakened zones, thereby forming a plurality of independent elementsinterconnected by portions of the flexible backing sheet functioning ashinge membersv and providing an articulated structure.

3. A method of producing a decorative material, which comprisesproviding a plurality of sub stantially rigid units of molded plasticmaterial embodying a number of alined decorative por-` tions, formingscore lines in each of said units intermediate said decorative portionsthereof, tol

define weakened zones dividing the unit into a number of elements eachincorporating one of said decorative portions, placing all the unitsupon a flexible backing sheet with the respective elements disposed toform rows of decorative portions extending longitudinally andtransversely of the backing sheet and with the respective, score linesin registration, securing all the units,I

to the backing sheet by means of lines of stitching parallel to thescore lines and passing throughI the elements of the units, and bendingthe assem,

bly thus formed longitudinally and transversely to sever the units alongthe weakened zones de-l fined therein, thereby separating the elements`of the units from each other and providing lan,

articulated structure.

4. As an article of manufacture, a decorativel materialcomprising aflexible backing sheet, a number of decorative rigid hollow elements ofplastic material having a at outwardly extending peripheral portionforming a base therefor, said elements being disposed upon said backingsheet with their bases slightly spaced from each other to exposeportions of the backing sheet and forming rows extending longitudinallyand trans-` versely of the backing sheet, and lines of stitch'- ingsecuring said peripheral portion of the elements to the backing sheet,the exposed portions of said backing sheet functioning as hinge memberspermitting relative movement of the elements, thereby providing anarticulated structure. t f Y rative portions interconnected by weakened`zones,` stitching said interconnected portions of the sheet upon aexible backing material, and subsequently severing the sheet along saidWeakened zones to separate the portions thereof from 10 each other andform an articulated structure.

JACK ROSENFELD.

